Double-door construction for railway cars



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G. G. GiLPiN DOUBLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWY GAHS WIW ym, Y s fw E O\L,\\ \1 PN 6 alcmswsheex, l

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Filed May 29. 1920 DOUBLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY GARS Filed May29, 1920 s sneetsusneet '2 BASLOBS Juny w, 11923.

G. G. GILPIN DOUBLE DOOR. CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 29,1920 6 SheetsSheet 3 I 174K 1.1Illd1l Juy l0, i923. 39461@35 G. G*GILPIN DOUBLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY GARS Filed May 29, 1920 6Sheets-Sheet 4 Juny w, w23. www5 CJ. G1. GILPIN DOUBLE DOOR CONSTRUCTIONFOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 29, 1920 s sheetsesheet 5 Juy w, 1923.

G. G. GILPIN DOUBLE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 29,1920 6 Sheets-Sheet G Imfem (amg.

Patented July ld, i923.

UNETE STTHF Gamin e. erwin', or nrvnasrnn, rLLrNors, assrernoa 'rowaarna r. amarrar, or

Nnw YORK, N. a'. v

' :DOUBLE-DOOR CDNSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CAR-'52 Application ined nay aa,1920. serial no. esame.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GARTH G. GILPIN, a citizen of the United States,residin at Riverside, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Double-DoorConstructions for Railway Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a side door construction for railway cars of thebox car type, and the principal object of the inventionis to providecertainimprovements in double door constructions employed on box carsused for carrying automobiles or other` large articles ofA freight.Automobile .cars are frequently built with side door openings wider thanthose of the ordinary box car.v

These openings are closed, in such oase, with a pair of doors whichslide to and from each other, one of standard width and the othernarrower as a general rule. The latter, when in closed position, isfastened firmly to the sill plate and header of the door frame and isopened only when the car is used for carryin automobiles or other bulkypieces of freig t, the other door alone being opened when the carisloaded with small articles or with rain. Y

One o? the specific objects of the invention is to provide certainarrangements for rigidly anchoring the small or auxiliary door (it may,of course, be the same width as the other) to the door frame, whicharrangements do not involve the use of a heavy post or jamb member atthe meeting edges of thedoor characteristic of most double automobilecar door constructions. Thepost or jamb, besides being cumbersome andobstructing the doorway to a greater or less extent, adds so much weightto the auxiliary door, if, as in certain constructions, the post isfastened to the door or engaged to slide with it, that the door islikely to be injured or to cause breakage of or injury to the fittingswith which it comes into contact when it is moved back and forthacrossthe doorwa Y further object is to provide means associated eitherwith one of the doors, with the auxiliary door for example, or with thedoor frame, for holding temporarily an upright timber or coopermg stripfor supporting the vgrain doors used when the car is loaded with grainor other bulk freight. Grain doors are made of a standard size tocorreand rigidity, will be simpler in structure,-

lighter and more economical to fabricate and installthan the double doorconstructions heretofore used on railway box cars.

The invention is shown, in certain preferred embodiments, in theaccompanying drawings wherein- Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevationofI a railway box car provided with the double door construction of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, on a larger scale, taken on line 2--2of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, in elevation of the structure taken fromthe inside of the car.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views, in perspective, of the stop and retainingmembers, one on the upper forward corner of the auxiliary door and theother on the header, for holding the door in itsclosed position.

Fig. 6 lis a fragmentary view, in elevation, of the auxiliary doorlooking toward the forward edge of the same, the adjacent parts of thecar body being shown in section.

Figs-7 aud-8 are perspective views of the stop and retaining members forthe lower portion of the auxiliary door.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view on line 9--9 of Fig. 6, lookingupwardly.

Fig. 10 is a view, similar to Fig. 6, showing a modied construction.

Figs. 11 and l2 are horizontal sectional views taken on lines 1'1-11 and12-12 respectively, looking` in the direction indicated by the arrows ineach case.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, illustrating theintermediate guide for the-locking element shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12.

Fig. 14: is a. sectional view on line M-M of Figl0.

Figs. 15 and 16 are erspective views of the coengaging stop andretaining members for the upper part of the door shown in the precedingve figures.,l

Mitt

lill@ Fig. 17 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and l0 illustrating anothermodification, and Figs. 18 and 19 are sectional views taken on lines18--18 and 19-19 respectively of Fig. 17,

looking in the direction of the arrows, in.

eachcase.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figuresof the drawings. Referring first to Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, 25designates the side sheathing of a box car having a door opening 26. 27are the door posts at opposite sides of the door opening. 28 representsone of the side sills of the car, 29 the side 4plate and 30 the headerstrip. The main door is shown at 31 and the auxiliary door at 32. Bothdoors are shown as supported on brackets 33 provided with rollers 34,thel lower edges of the doors being provided with Z-bar strips 35 toengage the rollers 34. The upper edges of the doors are provided withoutwardly opening channel members 36, the upper ianges of which projectinto the inwardly opening channeled portion of a guide strip 37 securedby bolts 38 to the side of the car. My invention is noty vconcerned withthese arrangements for supporting and guiding the doors. The rear edgesof the doors are provided with angle bar weather strips 39 adapted toengage angle bars 40 secured to the door posts 27.

Secured to the forward edge of the main door 31 is a Z-bar 41. Extendingaround a forward edge of the auxiliary door 32 is a channel shapedstrengthening4 and rigidifying member 42, the inner web 43 of which isofset at 44 to provide a recess to receive the forwardly projecting web45 of the Zfbar 41.- This arrangement makes the connection between thedoors waterproof. The channelshaped member gives great strength andrigidity to the auxiliary,door. The' stop and retaining members employedfor anchoring the forward edge of the auxiliary door to the door frameare attached to the channelshaped reinforcing member 42 as will behereinafter described. r1`his construction makes it possible to omit thepost or jamb members which in previous constructions have been eitherfastened to or interlocked with the forward edge of the small door. Awooden timber fixed to or engaged with the forward edge of the door inorder to be inclusive, the small door is provided with stop andretainingv members at the top and bottom of its forward edge which areadapted to engage with a pair of stop and sill p ate 57.

retaining members on the door frame. 46 (F ig., 4) is the stop andretaining member at vthe top 'of the door. It is formed with anupstanding vertical oblique or wedging lip 47 adapted to engageadepending oblique lip 48 on the cooperating member 49 which is securedto the under side of the header 30. Member 49 has a web 50 whichprovides a stop for member 46 on the door. The latter is secureddirectly to the channeled reinforcing strip 42 which embraces theforward edge of the auxiliaryy door. At the lower forward corner of thedoor is a stop and retaining member 51 having a depending vertical,oblique lip 52 adapted to bear against the wedging surface 53 providedby a block 54 forming part of the stop and retaining member 55 securedto the flooring 56 of the car, referably with the interposition of a Themember 51 is formed with a socket portion 58 in which is'slidablyarranged a bolt 59, the upper end of which has a horizontally projectingportion 60 to provide a handle. The lower end of the bolt is beveled, asindicated at 61 (Fig. 3) to engage a cam surface 62 formed on the top ofblock 54. liVhen the door is moved to its closing position thel lowerlookin bolt 59 rides up over, cam surface 62 and rops down on the farside of the block. At the same time lip 52 engages 'surface' 53 and lip47 engages the surface 48. To hold the'bolt'59 from dragging on thefloor a Ll-shaped slot 63 is cut in the rear face 64 of socket 58 andthe metal within the slot is bent inwardly to form a lip 65 projectinginto a slot 66 formed in the bolt 59. The member 51 is formed with a.pocket 67 for the lower end of a coopering strip, shown in vdotted linesat 68 in Fig. 6, the upper end' of the strip seating in a pocket 69formed in member 46. The use of t-he coopering strip is only temporaryat such time as the car may be loaded with grain. It provides a meansintermediate the sides of the door opening for supporting the grain dooror grain doors which may be nailed thereto if necessary. 'Preferably thepockets are of a proper size to hold a twoby-four timber, timbers ofthis size being kept on hand at the elevators where the car receives itsgrain cargo. rihe coopering strip forms no part of the door constructionand will be used only incase of transportation of bulk freight requiringsupplemental means for preventing leakage at -the door opening.

The modified construction shown in Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive, providesfor a lock'ing element which locks the door at thetop as well as at thebottom. rThis necessitates certain changes in the upper stop andretaining members but in other respects the construction issubstantially that shown in the precedingfgures. The locking bolt 70passes through a socket formed in the member 7.1

recipe@ y a the door and is formed with an upstanding oblique lip 75adapted to bear against a depending, oblique web 76 on the member 77(Figfl) which is secured to the header of the door frame. The upper endof the locking bolt is bent over at right angles, as shown at.78, and isdisposed so as to engage and ride over a cam surface 79 on member 77.rlhe length and weight of the locking bolt make it desirable, althoughit is not absolutely essential, that it be llted from the top as well asthe bottom. rlhe projecting end 78 after riding over cam 79 drops backof the web 80 of member 77 so that the upper two stop and retainingmembers are locked as well as the lower two. The locking bolt preferablypasses through one or more guide castings 81 (Fig. 13) secured to thedoor, -one of such castings being shown in the drawings. Above thisguide the locking bolt is provided with a rivet 82, the heads of. whichform stops to so as to prevent it from dragging on the Hoor when thedoor is moved back and forth.

The modified construction shown in Figs. 17, 18'and 19 involves but asingle change over the construction shown in Figs. 10 to 16 inclusive.ln Figs.' 17, 18 and 19 the pockets for the coopering strip 68 insteadof being formed on the stop and retaining members attached to the doorare formed on the members which are fixed to the door frame. 83designates the pocket on 'the member 84 secured to. the car floor. 85designates the corresponding pocket on the member 86 secured to theheader of the door frame. The other parts of the door construction aregiven the same reference numerals as are used to designate thecorresponding parts shown in the previous figures.

While Vli have described my invention in certain preferred embodiments,it will be understood that changes in details of construction'could bemade without departure from the principles of the invention. Thereforalwish it to be understood that the invention is notA to be considered aslimited to the specific arrangements and constructions shown anddescribed except so for as certain of the claims hereto appended areexpressly so limited.

li claim:

1 lll`lne combination with a railway car haring a door opening, of apair of doors to close said opening, and pockets secured to lthe innertace of one of the doors near .its upper and lower edges, respectively,

adapted to receive and removably support a coopering strip, for thepurpose described.

2. The combination with -a railway car having a door opening and a pairof doors to close said opening, of means on one of said doors adapted toreceive and support a bodily removable upright coopering strip.

3. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof doors movably attached to the car to close said opening, of two pairsof cooperating stop and retaining members, one pair on one of the doorsand the other on the car body, one of said pairs of members beingrecessed to provide seats for the ends of a coopering strip.

4c. The combination with a railway car having a'door opening and a pairof doors to close said opening, of two pairs of cooperating stop andretaining members forA limiting the closing movement of said doors andretaining them in their closed position,

one pair on one of the doors and the other on the car body, the memberson the door being recessed to provide seats for the ends zof acoopering'stri limit the downward movement of the bolt 5. Thecombinatiton with a railway car having a door opening and a pair ofdoors to close said opening, of stop and retaining members separatelysecured immediately to the inner face of one of said doors at itsforward edge, and'stop and retaining members on the car at the, top andbottom' of the door opening, with which the members on the door engage.

6. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof doors to close said opening, of stop and retaining members separatelysecured to the forward edge of one of the doors, stop and retainingmembers on the car body at the top and bottom of the door opening withwh-ich the members on the door cooperate, a longitudinally movablelocking element carried by one oi the members on the door, and aretracting cam for said locking element on the cooperating member of thecar.

7. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof doors to yclose said opening, of stop and retaining members at theforward edge of one ot the doors, stop and retaining members on the carbody at the top and bottom of the door opening with which `the memberson the door cooperate, a longitudinally movable loclring e ement carriedby the' members on the door and having loclring engagements with theother pair oit members, one of the latter being formed with a retractingearn for said locking element whereby the locking element isautomatically moved into locking position when said door is closed.

8. The combination with a railway car t having a door opening and a pairof doors to close said opening, of stop and retaining members at theforward edge of one of the doors, stop and retaining members on the carbody at the top and bottom of the door opening with which the members onthe door cooperate, a longitudinally movable locking element carried bythe members on the door f and having lockin engagements with the otherpair of mem ers, the latter members being formed with retracting camsengageable by said locking element whereby the locking element isautomatically moved into locking position when said door is closed.

9. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof doors to close ,said opening, of stop and retaining members at theforward edge of one of the doors, stop and retaining members on the carbody at the top and bottom of the door opening with which the members onthe door cooperate, a longitudinally'movable locking element carried bythe members on the door and having locking engagement with the otherpair of members, one of the latter being formed with a retracting camfor said locking element whereby the locking element is automaticallymoved into locking position when said door is closed, and means forlimiting the downward movement of the locking element to hold the sameabove the floor level.

10. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members separately secured to the top and bottom of theforward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining memberson the car within the door opening, coengaging vertical, oblique,guiding surfaces on said members, a locking bolt socket in one of themembers on the door and a cam surface on the cooperating fixed memberadapted to automatically effect the movement of the locking element toits lockin position.

l1. he combination with a railway car having a door` opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the forward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, coengaging vertical, oblique gui-ding surfaces on saidmembers, locking bolt sockets on the members upon the door, and alocking bolt passing through said sockets and adapted to engage themembers on the car,.one of the members on the car being formed with acam over which said bolt-rides when the door is closed.

12. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the forward edge of oneofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, coengaging vertical, oblique guiding surfaces on saidmembers, locking bolt sockets on the members upon the door, and alocking bolt passing through said sockets and adapted to engage themembers on the car, both members on the car body being formed with camsto engage and move said bolt when the door is closed.

13. The combination'with a railway car having a door opening and ay pairof slid ing outside'doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the lforward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, locking bolt sockets on the members upon the door, and alocking bolt passing through said sockets and adapted to engage themembers on the car, one of the members on the car being formed with acam over which said bolt 'rides when the door is closed.

14. The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the forward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, locking bolt sockets on the members upon the door, and alocking bolt passing through said sockets and adapted to engage themembers on the car, both members on the car body being formed withcamsto engage and move said bolt when the door is closed.

l5, The combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the forward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, coengaging vertical, oblique guiding surfaces on saidmembers, locking bolt sockets on the members upon the door, a lockingbolt passlng through said sockets and adapted to engage the members onthe car, oneV of the members on the car being formed with a cam overwhich said bolt rides when the door is closed, an intermediate guide forthe locking bolt, and a stop on the bolt to bear against the guide so asto keep the bolt from dragging.

16. The combination with a railway cal` havinga door opening and a pairof sliding outside doors to close the same, of a pair of stop andretaining members at the top and bottom on the forward edge of one ofsaid doors, a pair of stop and retaining members on the car within thedoor opening, a locking bolt socket in one of the members on the door, acam surface on the cooperating fixed member adapted to automaticallyeffect the llt) neenoae movement of the locking element to its lock ingposition,y and pockets for a readily removable coopering strip formed onthe members on the door.

17. In combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding doors to close the same, a stop and retaining member at thebottom of the door opening intermediate the sides thereof, formed alongone side with a vertical, oblique wedgingsurface and on the top' with aninclined cam surface, a member on the bottom of one of the doors at theforward edge formed with a depending, vertical, oblique lip to engagewith the wedging surface on the other member and with a socket, and alocking bolt extending through said socket adapted to ride over said camsurface and drop on the other side of the member fixed to the car bodywhen the door is closed. f

18. In combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding doors to close the same, a stop and retaining member on thec'ar body at the top of the door opening, intermediate the sidesthereof, formed with a depending vertical, oblique lip and on the topwith an inclined cam surface, a member at the top of the forward edge ofthe door having a, vertical, oblique web to engage the aforesaidlip andwith a socket, and a locking bolt extending through said socket having ahorizontal portion adapted to ride over said camsurface and drop on theother side of the member on the car body when the door is closed.

19. In combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding doors to close thersame, a stop and retaining member at .thebottom of the door opening intermediate the sides thereof, formed alongone side with a vertical, oblique wedging surface and on the top with aninclined cam surface, the member at the bottom of one of the doors atthe forward edge formed with a vertical, oblique lip to engage with thewedging surface on the other member and with a socket, a stop andretaining member on the car body at the top of the door opening formedwith a depending vertical, oblique lip and on the top with an inclinedcam surface, a member onv the top of the forward edge of the door havinga vertical, oblique web to engage the aforesaid lip and formed also witha socket, and a locking bolt extending through said sockets having ahorizontal portion adapted to ride over said last named cam surface to alocking position, the lower end of said bolt adapted to ride over thefirst named cam surface to a locking position.

20. fn combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding doors to close the same, a stop and retaining member at thebottom of the door opening intermediate the sides thereof, formed alongone side with a vertical, oblique wedging surface and on the top with aninclined cam surface, the member 'at the bottom of one of the doors atthe forward edge formed with a vertical, oblique lip to engage with thewedging surface on the other member and with a Vsocket, a stop andretaining member on the car body at the top ofthe door opening formedwith a depending vertical, oblique lip and on the top with an inclinedcam surface, a member on the top of the forward edge of the door havinga vertical, oblique web to engage the aforesaid lip and formed also witha socket, a locking bolt extending through said sockets having ahorizontal portion adapted to ride over said last named camv surface toa locking position, the lower end of said bolt adapted to ride over thefirst named cam surface to a locking position, and pockets for acoopering strip formed on the members on the door.

21. In combination with a railway car having a door opening and a pairof sliding doors to close the same, a stop and retaining member at thebottom of t-he door opening intermediate the sides thereof, formed alongone side with ayertical, oblique wedging surface and on the top with aninclined cam surface, the member at the bottom of one of the doors atthe forward edge formed with a vertical, oblique lip to engage with thewedging surface on the other member. and with a socket, a stop andretaining member on the car body at the top of the door opening formedAwith a depending vertical, loblique lip and'on the top with an inclinedcam surface, a member on the top of the forward edge of the door havinga vertical, oblique web to engage the aforesaid lip and formed also witha socket, a locking bolt extending through said sock ets having ahorizontal portion adapted to ride over said last named cam surface to alocking position, the lower end of said bolt adapted to ride over thefirst named cam surface to a locking position, and an intermediate guidefor the locking bolt, the latter being provided with a stop to engagesaid guide, for the purpose described.

22. In combination with a railway car having a door opening, a pair ofSlidin doors to close said opening, a vertically sli able lockingelement at the forward edge of one of said doors, means on the car atthe upper and lower sides of the door opening with which the extremitiesof the locking element are adapted to have a lookin engagement, andmeans for automatleally moving said locking element to such lock ingengagement when the door is closed.

23.`l[n combination with a railway car having a door opening, a pair ofslidin doors to close said opening, a verticall slidable locking elementat the forwar edge of one of said doors, means on the car MND ' ing withwhich the extremities of the locking element are adapted to have alocking engagement, and cams with which the upper and lower ends of saidlockingelement engage to move said element to its locking position whenthe door is closed.

24. In combination with a railway carl having a door opening, a pair ofsliding doors to close sald opening, a metal remforcing element fittedover the forward edge of one of said doors, stop and retaining memberson the car at the top and bottom of the door opening, intermediate thesides thereof, and cooperating members on the door which are fastened tosaid metal reinforcin strip., l

25. combination with a railway car having a door opening, a pair ofsliding doors to close said opening, a channelshaped reinforcing stripwhich extends around the forward edge of one of said doors, stop andretaining members on the car at the top and bottom of the door opening,`intermediate the sides thereof, and cooperating members on the doorwhich are fastened to said metal reinforcing strip.

26. In combination with a railwa car having a door opening, a pair ofsiding doors to close said opening, a channelshaped reinforcing stripwhich extends around the forward' edge of yone of said doors, stop andretaining members on the' car at the top and bottom o;f the dooropening, intermedlate the sides thereof, cooperating members on the doorwhich are fastened to said metal reinforcing strip, and automaticallyoperating locking Ineans'for holding said door in closed-position.

27. In combination with a railway car having a door opening, a pair ofsliding doors, a channel-shaped reinforcing strip extending around theforward edge of one of the doors, and a Z-bar on the forward edge of theother door having a flange which projects back of the forward. edge ofthe other door.

28. In combination with a railway car having a doo-r opening, a pair ofsliding doors, a channel-shaped reinforcing strip extending around theforward edge of one of the doors, and a Z-bar on the forward edge of theother door having a {iange which projects back of the forward ed e ofthe other door, the inner web of sai channel bar being offset to providea recess for the projecting web of the Z-bar.

' GAR'IH G., GHJPIN.

